


See Her Smile

by lionessvalenti



Category: White Collar
Genre: Age Difference, Bechdel Test Pass, Birthday, F/F, Femslash, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-07
Updated: 2010-08-07
Packaged: 2017-10-10 23:43:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,832
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/105747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lionessvalenti/pseuds/lionessvalenti
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Diana keeps running into June, and June isn't like anyone she's met.</p>
            </blockquote>





	See Her Smile

**Author's Note:**

> Beta read by Lefaym.
> 
> Most of this story was written before the season two premiere, and several points in it have already been jossed by the new episodes.

On Diana's first day back in the New York office, she got an apologetic phone call from Peter, asking her if she could pick up Neal and bring him into work. Of course, she said yes, knowing Peter wouldn't ask her to go out of her way without a good reason.

So she headed uptown and when she reached the house, she looked up at it through the tinted car window. "Damn," she muttered, and headed for the door. She was let in by a maid and was shown the way to the terrace. Neal and an older woman sat at a small table, eating fresh fruit.

Neal smiled, looking unsurprised to see her. "Morning, Diana. You find it all right?"

"Yeah, it was easy enough," she replied. "Are you ready to go?"

"Just a minute." Neal finished off his cup of coffee, and stood. "This is June. June, Diana."

"Nice to meet you," Diana said, reaching to shake June's outstretched hand.

June smiled. "Likewise. Sit. Have some coffee."

Diana hesitated, but then considered that Neal's version of "a minute" was probably more like half an hour. She didn't have all day, but she could at least have a cup of coffee. She sat in the vacant chair. "Thanks," she said, as June poured her a cup.

"Sugar?" June asked.

"Just milk," Diana replied, reaching for the small silver pitcher. She stirred her coffee and took a sip. "That's good."

June smiled, pleased, though Diana was going to take a guess that a woman with this house and a maid, and who knows what else, probably didn't make her own coffee. Probably didn't walk the cute pug on her lap either.

Diana wasn't quite sure what to say, so she sipped her coffee and smiled politely. With perfect timing, Neal walked back out on the terrace wearing his jacket and hat, just as she emptied her cup.

"Ready?" Neal asked, grinning at her.

"Yeah." Diana set down her cup. "Thank you for the coffee," she said to June.

"You're welcome," June replied. "Come by anytime."

Diana smiled, but she didn't think this would be a habit.

\--- --- ---

The second time it happened, about three months later, Diana walked upstairs to the terrace on her own. She didn't need to ask if Neal was ready, because he clearly wasn't. He was still in his pajamas and silk robe, sitting at the little table next to June, both of them sipping at their coffees. He looked up at her and his smiled faded as soon as it crossed his face.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine," she replied, knowing she sounded defensive because she wasn't fine. But she wasn't going to discuss her problems with Neal Caffrey and his rich landlady. "Can you get dressed? We need to go."

Neal was clearly unconvinced, but he stood. "Here, take my seat. Have a muffin."

For a split second, Diana wondered if he was making a lesbian joke, but that wasn't Neal's style. A basket of blueberry muffins sat in the middle of the table, so the offer seemed pretty cut and dry.

Diana sat down as Neal disappeared into the house. June reached over and took Diana's hand.

"Is everything all right?"

"Everything's fine," Diana replied, but there was something in June's sweet, non-judgmental delivery that made her choke up. It was hard to put it all out of her mind when everyone was asking. "I, uh, I... I got dumped. About an hour ago."

June frowned and squeezed Diana's hand. "I'm sorry."

"It's been hard, being apart, and I thought we could work through it, but she's still in DC, and we both... we like where we are. Just not as a couple. I know she's lonely, I am too, but I think this would just make it worse. Unless she's met someone else, or if she just doesn't want to be with me, and I can't think about that." Diana paused, realizing she had just poured her heart out to a stranger, and done exactly what she had, minutes before, told herself she wasn't going to do. She wiped at her eyes when she realized she was crying. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have--"

"It's fine," June said with a smile. "We're all allowed to break down sometime." She took her hand away, and poured coffee into a clean cup. "Just milk, right?"

Diana smiled. "That's right. Thank you."

Neal walked back onto the terrace, in his suit and tie, though he was still barefoot, and set a box of tissues on the table. Diana looked up at him, and he winked before heading back into the house. Diana gaped at the space where he had stood, not expecting that at all.

"He's really quite sweet," June said in a low voice, where Neal couldn't overhear.

Diana looked back, as she pulled a tissue from the box to wipe away any smeared eyeliner. She wasn't sure if June had missed all of the _shes_ when she had been talking about the break-up. "If you're trying to set me up, he's not my type."

"Oh, no," June said with a small laugh, "but he could be a good friend."

Diana smiled too and picked up the coffee cup in front of her. "I think I have all the friends I need," she said, thinking about how her friends were going to take her out tonight in a get-over-Christie drinking party, where she will probably still feel miserable, because she didn't need to be fed gin and tonics. This was more a job for pizza and _The Breakfast Club_. It was the thought that counted, right?

"Let's go," Neal said, as he sauntered onto the terrace again, this time fully dressed, hat and all.

As they walked downstairs together, Diana turned to Neal. "If you could not mention this, I'd--"

Neal smiled. "Your secret's safe with me."

Strangely, Diana felt comforted.

\--- --- ---

June was the last person Diana expected to see as she crossed the office. She paused and smiled, and walked to June, who was sitting at Neal's desk, her hands folded neatly in her lap, legs crossed at the ankle.

"Hey," Diana said. "What's going on?"

"I'm here to pick up Neal," June replied, greeting Diana with a smile. "He agreed to accompany me to a charity auction this evening."

Diana perched on the edge of the desk and laughed. "I'm sure that was a huge sacrifice on his part. What's the charity for?"

"Children's cancer research. It's a good cause." June reached over and placed a hand over Diana's. Her skin was soft. "How you are doing, dear?"

"I'm fine." She paused. "Okay. Keeping busy."

"Good," June replied. "Sometimes that's all you can do."

Diana nodded. "My thoughts exactly."

Neal hurried down the stairs and joined them at the desk. He shoved his hands in his trouser pockets. "I'm cleared to go," he said. "We just have to go directly to the hotel and go directly home when it's over. Or the car will turn into a pumpkin."

June pulled her hand away from Diana, and stood, linking her arm through Neal's. "You have a good night, Diana."

"You too," Diana replied. "Have fun."

"Don't work too hard," Neal said with a grin as they started for the door.

Still sitting on the desk, Diana took a deep breath. Then she smiled.

\--- --- ---

Diana didn't tell anyone it was her birthday. She didn't want an office party, or to go out with her friends, or anyone to feel bad that they didn't know. She kept it to herself. However, as she was driving home, well past ten at night, she realized, she didn't want to be alone.

She drove around the city for a while, and realized she was heading toward June's house. She stopped at traffic light and sat back against the seat. It was late, but then again, June was the one who told her to come by anytime.

Encouraged by suddening knowing where she was going, Diana perked up as the light turned green.

When she arrived at the house, she wasn't expecting June answering the door in her silky green robe.

"You said I could stop by," Diana said, trying to act like this wasn't weird or unusual.

June smiled. "Of course I did. Come inside."

"I sort of figured you'd have 'round the clock staff," Diana said, looking around at the large rooms, somewhat ominous in the dark.

"Oh, there's really not _that_ much work to go around. They leave after dinner's cleared, then it's just me and Neal. And Neal's guests," June replied. "Would you like a cup of tea? I was just about to put on a pot."

"That sounds wonderful. Thank you." Diana followed June into the kitchen and sat on one of the stools that surrounded the large marble island in the center of the expansive room. She was surprised, thinking back to her initial judgments, that June knew her way around the kitchen.

Cup of tea in hand, June sat down next to Diana. "What's troubling you?"

Diana was about to deny that anything was bothering her, because that's what she did, but she wouldn't be here if everything was fine, as she always said it was. She looked down at her tea (with only milk) and took a deep breath. "It's my birthday."

"I think you're still a bit too young to be worrying about getting old," June said, smiling.

Diana chuckled. "It's not that. I just didn't feel like celebrating. I didn't feel like sharing it with anyone. I didn't have anyone to share it with, or anywhere special to go."

"Well, I'm glad you came here," June said, setting her hand over Diana's.

"You know, so am I," Diana replied, smiling genuinely for the first time all day. She leaned forward and pressed a kiss to June's cheek. She lingered for a moment, catching the scent of June's expensive perfume, and when June turned her head, Diana kissed her on the lips. There was no hesitation from June, kissing Diana in return, but when she tightened her hand around Diana's, Diana pulled back, eyes wide.

"Oh, god. I'm sorry, I--"

June reached up with her free hand and pressed a finger to Diana's lips. "Don't ever apologize for anything."

Diana stared for a moment, then relaxed. She even smiled as she nodded. "All right."

"Now," June said, leaning in to close the gap between them, their arms resting against each other, "tell me something about yourself. Make it good."

"All I've done is talk about myself," Diana replied. She wanted to hear stories from June's life. She wanted to get to know her. "You start."

June smiled. "If you insist."

Diana picked up her tea and took a sip. For the first time in weeks, she felt comfortable. In a big house, with a rich lady, who could brew a hell of a cup of tea. It seemed things were looking up.


End file.
